[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

Times -Signs of Hope?



Reply-To: "TIN KYI" <tinkyi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_0057_01BF2CA2.948A9F20
Content-Type: multipart/alternative;
	boundary="----=_NextPart_001_0058_01BF2CA2.948A9F20"


------=_NextPart_001_0058_01BF2CA2.948A9F20
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Times - Asia=20
Signs of Hope?
Burma's ruling junta continues to squabble with Aung San Suu Kyi, but =
the generals now seem more attentive to international calls for reform=20
By SANDRA BURTON Rangoon



      Peter Charlesworth/Saba for TIME
      Burmese citizens have the lowest purchasing power in the region.

     =20
The monsoon season is ending, and Burma's military regime is gearing up =
for combat on two fronts. One is the dry-season skirmishing against =
ethnic insurgents along the border with Thailand. No less important is =
the annual charm campaign at the United Nations, where this year's =
debate on Burma's human rights record is just under way. =
Temperatures--and voices--began rising inside the U.N. Human Rights =
Commission last week with the release of a report by the special human =
rights rapporteur. It accused Burma--also known as Myanmar--of =
practicing forced labor, summary executions, abuses of ethnic minorities =
and repression of civil and political rights. "At the very worst, we are =
faced with a country which is at war with its own people," says the =
report. "At the very best, it is a country which is holding its people =
 ... hostage."=20

The pressure may be getting through. For the first time since the 1995 =
release of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house detention, the =
junta is responding to international condemnation with more than the =
usual empty rhetoric. Earlier this year, the regime surprised its =
critics by suddenly granting permission to the International Committee =
of the Red Cross to inspect Burma's prisons and report on the condition =
of "security detainees," the state's euphemism for the political =
prisoners it claims not to hold. That concession, along with moves to =
enter into talks on establishing an independent human rights commission =
and to entertain lawsuits filed by the opposition, has given the junta a =
toehold from which to respond to critics, and perhaps to begin =
experimenting with political and economic reforms. Last week the =
generals, with a nod, no doubt, to the U.N., made a more conciliatory =
gesture: they freed Rachel Goldwyn, a young British activist who had =
been arrested in September and sentenced to seven years in jail for =
staging an anti-government protest in downtown Rangoon. "What we are =
seeing is not so much a thaw as the slow movement of a glacier that may =
finally be gaining momentum," says the former director of a U.S. =
humanitarian aid organization in Burma.=20

Despite such conciliatory signs, the two sides of Burma's political =
debate are still far from a breakthrough. Suu Kyi, whose National League =
for Democracy (NLD) won an 80% majority in 1990 elections that the =
regime refused to recognize, has called for the release of political =
prisoners and freedom for political parties to operate openly before she =
will enter into a dialogue with the ruling State Peace and Development =
Council. And she is not likely to bend to the junta's condition that the =
opposition abolish a committee comprised of elected MPs, which the junta =
denounces as a "parallel government." Until the two sides find some =
common ground, donor nations aren't likely to authorize any major =
funding; the U.S., meanwhile, won't allow its companies to make new =
investments in Burma. In Asia, Rangoon's more forgiving neighbors =
continue to promote a "constructive engagement" policy, offering =
incentives to coax the regime to lighten up and reduce its growing =
dependency on China for trade, infrastructure funding and arms.=20

A potential breakthrough came late last month when U.N. special envoy =
Alvaro De Soto visited Burma to try to break the political stalemate. =
Though the mission apparently failed to bring the two sides closer on =
the big issues, it set off a chain of follow-up discussions that could =
lead to progress in forging a dialogue--a prerequisite for the release =
of major funding. In the meantime, says Mike Jendrzejczyk, Washington =
director of Human Rights Watch Asia, "If Burma were to make economic =
reforms and respond to various political resolutions, some doors might =
open to at least low-level aid and poverty reduction funds."=20

The visit offers the clearest hopes for some sort of compromise. The =
U.N. special envoy met separately with both General Khin Nyunt, the =
junta's Secretary One, and Suu Kyi. The talks were shrouded in secrecy, =
and rumors abound that the meeting with Suu Kyi was tense. Still, there =
is hope that the discussions will lead to something concrete. Suu Kyi =
apparently seemed prepared to make some concessions. De Soto reportedly =
asked if she would object to proposed World Bank technical assistance to =
train and develop the country's civil service: she has insisted on =
approval over such grants to ensure that they would not indirectly =
strengthen the junta. This time she neither rejected the proposal =
outright nor imposed strict conditions on its disbursal, asking only =
that the World Bank's dealings with the government be "transparent" and =
that the opposition be kept informed. "The government portrays Aung San =
Suu Kyi as an iron lady, but she is not," says U Tin Oo, deputy chairman =
of the NLD. "She can make compromises, with no winners or losers, for =
the sake of democratization."=20

Still, there are ample signs that the government is not ready to repent, =
even after 10 years of international ostracism. It is still holding more =
than 40 elected parliamentarians from Suu Kyi's NLD in jails and =
military guesthouses, following a crackdown on the party late last year. =
And more than 1,000 of the party's rank-and-file members languish in =
jail. A World Bank official who accompanied De Soto to Rangoon filed a =
scathing assessment after the visit. The still-confidential document =
concludes that there is little commitment to economic reform within the =
junta's high command. "The Ministers for Finance and Planning and the =
governor of the Central Bank understand the need for reform, but cannot =
pierce the glass wall above them to reach the higher authorities," says =
a summary of the report. In any case, it adds, "the capacity to =
undertake reform does not currently exist."=20

As the regime dithers, the economy continues to suffer. The generals who =
are running things routinely work round the clock to keep the system =
afloat. So frequent are midnight cabinet meetings that ministers and =
bureaucrats openly joke that they are permanently enrolled in night =
school. New foreign investment in Burma has plunged 51% over the past =
year, due largely to the Asian financial crisis, and plans to generate =
foreign exchange by exporting more gas are well behind schedule. =
Nonetheless, the military government continues to spend six times as =
much on defense as health. Inflation, meanwhile, is running at 40%: the =
price of rice is 60% up from last year.=20

The major victims of economic disarray are, of course, the country's =
poor. Though Burma is rich in natural resources, years of mismanagement =
have created miserable conditions. More than half the population has no =
access to clean water. Ignorance and poverty have contributed to an aids =
epidemic that has infected an estimated 500,000 people. Nearly one-third =
of children in what was once one of Asia's most literate countries now =
receive no formal education. With a per capita income of only $400 a =
year, Burma's citizens have the lowest purchasing power in the region. =
As a result of international sanctions, Burmese receive only $1 in =
overseas assistance for every $82 that aid agencies give their Laotian =
neighbors.=20

International non-governmental organizations are increasingly skeptical =
about the wisdom of withholding humanitarian aid for political reasons. =
Many NGOs are searching for a way to deliver such aid to Burma's poor =
without inadvertently strengthening the junta in the process. "If we =
just stand by and allow the poor to become poorer, then we are =
systematically destroying the fabric that will eventually be needed for =
a democratic society," says an American health care worker in Rangoon. =
NGO staff members say that in the past six months they have begun to =
enjoy more options. "There is to some extent already a middle way that =
requires talking to more than the junta," says Maureen Aung-Thwin, Burma =
project director for the Soros Foundations network. "Potential donors =
don't have to have a t=EAte-=E0-t=EAte with Suu Kyi every time they want =
to give some humanitarian assistance, but such groups increasingly =
manage to talk to her about their plans."=20

Progress elsewhere has been subtle but unmistakable. Red Cross head of =
delegation L=E9on de Riedmatten says the regime's willingness over the =
past six months to grant his delegation access to 19,000 inmates and to =
interview more than 700 security detainees (with repeat visits to three =
of the prisons in which they are held) is "a significant breakthrough." =
He hopes that the visits will help promote an improvement in prison =
conditions. That might, in turn, prompt the opposition to view the =
government more sympathetically and lead to dialogue.=20

At some point, ASEAN could flex its muscles. The organization's members =
probably have the capacity to prod Rangoon out of its isolation and into =
the international mainstream. "Western governments have not been able to =
exert the sort of influence that Burma's neighbors could," says a =
Western diplomat in the capital. The recent attack by armed dissidents =
on the Burmese embassy in Bangkok offers a glimpse of how Burma's =
authoritarian government could find itself increasingly isolated in an =
expanding sea of democracy. Thai officials defused the crisis by trading =
the hostages for Bangkok's deputy foreign minister, Sukhumband =
Paribatra. He helicoptered with the gunmen to the Thai-Burma border and =
let them go free, depriving Rangoon of the international sympathy it had =
expected as a terrorist target. The junta retaliated by closing down =
Burma's 2,100-km border with Thailand and ordering Thai fishing vessels =
out of its waters.=20

Relations with the region's other democracies are not much better. Even =
politically conservative Singapore, one of Burma's biggest investors, =
has grown impatient with the regime's inability to break the political =
stalemate and get on with economic reforms. And with the fall of Suharto =
and the rise of democracy in Indonesia, Burma has lost another powerful =
ASEAN patron. In time, the junta may discover that it is easier to =
cooperate with its own democrats than fight the new ones rising across =
Asia.=20



------=_NextPart_001_0058_01BF2CA2.948A9F20
Content-Type: text/html;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" =
http-equiv=3DContent-Type>
<META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2614.3401" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV><FONT face=3Dhelvetica,arial,sans-serif size=3D4>Times - Asia =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D1><STRONG><FONT color=3D#cc0000 =
face=3Dhelvetica,arial,sans-serif=20
size=3D5>Signs of Hope?<BR></FONT></STRONG><FONT color=3D#666666=20
face=3Dhelvetica,arial,sans-serif size=3D3><STRONG>Burma's ruling junta =
continues to=20
squabble with Aung San Suu Kyi, but the generals now seem more attentive =
to=20
international calls for reform </STRONG><BR></FONT><FONT color=3D#333333 =

face=3Dhelvetica,arial,sans-serif size=3D2>By SANDRA BURTON=20
Rangoon<BR></FONT><BR></DIV><!--LEAD PHOTO INCLUDE-->
<TABLE align=3Dleft border=3D0 cellPadding=3D0 cellSpacing=3D0 =
width=3D170>
  <TBODY>
  <TR>
    <TD vAlign=3Dtop><IMG align=3Dtop alt=3D"" border=3D1 height=3D169=20
      src=3D"http://cnn.com/ASIANOW/time/magazine/99/1115/burma.jpg"=20
      width=3D160><BR><FONT color=3D#666666 face=3D"Helvetica, Arial, =
sans-serif"=20
      size=3D1>Peter Charlesworth/Saba for TIME<BR><STRONG>Burmese =
citizens have=20
      the lowest purchasing power in the =
region.<BR></STRONG></FONT><BR></TD>
    <TD><IMG alt=3D"" border=3D0 height=3D1=20
      src=3D"http://cnn.com/ASIANOW/images/main/spacer1x1.gif"=20
  width=3D10></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!--/LEAD PHOTO INCLUDE--><FONT =
color=3D#000000=20
face=3Darial,helvetica,sans-serif size=3D2>The monsoon season is ending, =
and Burma's=20
military regime is gearing up for combat on two fronts. One is the =
dry-season=20
skirmishing against ethnic insurgents along the border with Thailand. No =
less=20
important is the annual charm campaign at the United Nations, where this =
year's=20
debate on Burma's human rights record is just under way. =
Temperatures--and=20
voices--began rising inside the U.N. Human Rights Commission last week =
with the=20
release of a report by the special human rights rapporteur. It accused=20
Burma--also known as Myanmar--of practicing forced labor, summary =
executions,=20
abuses of ethnic minorities and repression of civil and political =
rights. "At=20
the very worst, we are faced with a country which is at war with its own =

people," says the report. "At the very best, it is a country which is =
holding=20
its people ... hostage." <BR></FONT><BR><!--TIME FLOATING MORE STORIES =
BOX--><A=20
name=3Dmore></A><!--/TIME MORE STORIES BOX--><FONT color=3D#000000=20
face=3Darial,helvetica,sans-serif size=3D2>The pressure may be getting =
through. For=20
the first time since the 1995 release of opposition leader Aung San Suu =
Kyi from=20
house detention, the junta is responding to international condemnation =
with more=20
than the usual empty rhetoric. Earlier this year, the regime surprised =
its=20
critics by suddenly granting permission to the International Committee =
of the=20
Red Cross to inspect Burma's prisons and report on the condition of =
"security=20
detainees," the state's euphemism for the political prisoners it claims =
not to=20
hold. That concession, along with moves to enter into talks on =
establishing an=20
independent human rights commission and to entertain lawsuits filed by =
the=20
opposition, has given the junta a toehold from which to respond to =
critics, and=20
perhaps to begin experimenting with political and economic reforms. Last =
week=20
the generals, with a nod, no doubt, to the U.N., made a more =
conciliatory=20
gesture: they freed Rachel Goldwyn, a young British activist who had =
been=20
arrested in September and sentenced to seven years in jail for staging =
an=20
anti-government protest in downtown Rangoon. "What we are seeing is not =
so much=20
a thaw as the slow movement of a glacier that may finally be gaining =
momentum,"=20
says the former director of a U.S. humanitarian aid organization in =
Burma.=20
<BR><BR>Despite such conciliatory signs, the two sides of Burma's =
political=20
debate are still far from a breakthrough. Suu Kyi, whose National League =
for=20
Democracy (NLD) won an 80% majority in 1990 elections that the regime =
refused to=20
recognize, has called for the release of political prisoners and freedom =
for=20
political parties to operate openly before she will enter into a =
dialogue with=20
the ruling State Peace and Development Council. And she is not likely to =
bend to=20
the junta's condition that the opposition abolish a committee comprised =
of=20
elected MPs, which the junta denounces as a "parallel government." Until =
the two=20
sides find some common ground, donor nations aren't likely to authorize =
any=20
major funding; the U.S., meanwhile, won't allow its companies to make =
new=20
investments in Burma. In Asia, Rangoon's more forgiving neighbors =
continue to=20
promote a "constructive engagement" policy, offering incentives to coax =
the=20
regime to lighten up and reduce its growing dependency on China for =
trade,=20
infrastructure funding and arms. <BR><BR>A potential breakthrough came =
late last=20
month when U.N. special envoy Alvaro De Soto visited Burma to try to =
break the=20
political stalemate. Though the mission apparently failed to bring the =
two sides=20
closer on the big issues, it set off a chain of follow-up discussions =
that could=20
lead to progress in forging a dialogue--a prerequisite for the release =
of major=20
funding. In the meantime, says Mike Jendrzejczyk, Washington director of =
Human=20
Rights Watch Asia, "If Burma were to make economic reforms and respond =
to=20
various political resolutions, some doors might open to at least =
low-level aid=20
and poverty reduction funds." <BR><BR>The visit offers the clearest =
hopes for=20
some sort of compromise. The U.N. special envoy met separately with both =
General=20
Khin Nyunt, the junta's Secretary One, and Suu Kyi. The talks were =
shrouded in=20
secrecy, and rumors abound that the meeting with Suu Kyi was tense. =
Still, there=20
is hope that the discussions will lead to something concrete. Suu Kyi =
apparently=20
seemed prepared to make some concessions. De Soto reportedly asked if =
she would=20
object to proposed World Bank technical assistance to train and develop =
the=20
country's civil service: she has insisted on approval over such grants =
to ensure=20
that they would not indirectly strengthen the junta. This time she =
neither=20
rejected the proposal outright nor imposed strict conditions on its =
disbursal,=20
asking only that the World Bank's dealings with the government be =
"transparent"=20
and that the opposition be kept informed. "The government portrays Aung =
San Suu=20
Kyi as an iron lady, but she is not," says U Tin Oo, deputy chairman of =
the NLD.=20
"She can make compromises, with no winners or losers, for the sake of=20
democratization." <BR><BR>Still, there are ample signs that the =
government is=20
not ready to repent, even after 10 years of international ostracism. It =
is still=20
holding more than 40 elected parliamentarians from Suu Kyi's NLD in =
jails and=20
military guesthouses, following a crackdown on the party late last year. =
And=20
more than 1,000 of the party's rank-and-file members languish in jail. A =
World=20
Bank official who accompanied De Soto to Rangoon filed a scathing =
assessment=20
after the visit. The still-confidential document concludes that there is =
little=20
commitment to economic reform within the junta's high command. "The =
Ministers=20
for Finance and Planning and the governor of the Central Bank understand =
the=20
need for reform, but cannot pierce the glass wall above them to reach =
the higher=20
authorities," says a summary of the report. In any case, it adds, "the =
capacity=20
to undertake reform does not currently exist." <BR><BR>As the regime =
dithers,=20
the economy continues to suffer. The generals who are running things =
routinely=20
work round the clock to keep the system afloat. So frequent are midnight =
cabinet=20
meetings that ministers and bureaucrats openly joke that they are =
permanently=20
enrolled in night school. New foreign investment in Burma has plunged =
51% over=20
the past year, due largely to the Asian financial crisis, and plans to =
generate=20
foreign exchange by exporting more gas are well behind schedule. =
Nonetheless,=20
the military government continues to spend six times as much on defense =
as=20
health. Inflation, meanwhile, is running at 40%: the price of rice is =
60% up=20
from last year. <BR><BR>The major victims of economic disarray are, of =
course,=20
the country's poor. Though Burma is rich in natural resources, years of=20
mismanagement have created miserable conditions. More than half the =
population=20
has no access to clean water. Ignorance and poverty have contributed to =
an aids=20
epidemic that has infected an estimated 500,000 people. Nearly one-third =
of=20
children in what was once one of Asia's most literate countries now =
receive no=20
formal education. With a per capita income of only $400 a year, Burma's =
citizens=20
have the lowest purchasing power in the region. As a result of =
international=20
sanctions, Burmese receive only $1 in overseas assistance for every $82 =
that aid=20
agencies give their Laotian neighbors. <BR><BR>International =
non-governmental=20
organizations are increasingly skeptical about the wisdom of withholding =

humanitarian aid for political reasons. Many NGOs are searching for a =
way to=20
deliver such aid to Burma's poor without inadvertently strengthening the =
junta=20
in the process. "If we just stand by and allow the poor to become =
poorer, then=20
we are systematically destroying the fabric that will eventually be =
needed for a=20
democratic society," says an American health care worker in Rangoon. NGO =
staff=20
members say that in the past six months they have begun to enjoy more =
options.=20
"There is to some extent already a middle way that requires talking to =
more than=20
the junta," says Maureen Aung-Thwin, Burma project director for the =
Soros=20
Foundations network. "Potential donors don't have to have a =
t=EAte-=E0-t=EAte with Suu=20
Kyi every time they want to give some humanitarian assistance, but such =
groups=20
increasingly manage to talk to her about their plans." <BR><BR>Progress=20
elsewhere has been subtle but unmistakable. Red Cross head of delegation =
L=E9on de=20
Riedmatten says the regime's willingness over the past six months to =
grant his=20
delegation access to 19,000 inmates and to interview more than 700 =
security=20
detainees (with repeat visits to three of the prisons in which they are =
held) is=20
"a significant breakthrough." He hopes that the visits will help promote =
an=20
improvement in prison conditions. That might, in turn, prompt the =
opposition to=20
view the government more sympathetically and lead to dialogue. =
<BR><BR>At some=20
point, ASEAN could flex its muscles. The organization's members probably =
have=20
the capacity to prod Rangoon out of its isolation and into the =
international=20
mainstream. "Western governments have not been able to exert the sort of =

influence that Burma's neighbors could," says a Western diplomat in the =
capital.=20
The recent attack by armed dissidents on the Burmese embassy in Bangkok =
offers a=20
glimpse of how Burma's authoritarian government could find itself =
increasingly=20
isolated in an expanding sea of democracy. Thai officials defused the =
crisis by=20
trading the hostages for Bangkok's deputy foreign minister, Sukhumband=20
Paribatra. He helicoptered with the gunmen to the Thai-Burma border and =
let them=20
go free, depriving Rangoon of the international sympathy it had expected =
as a=20
terrorist target. The junta retaliated by closing down Burma's 2,100-km =
border=20
with Thailand and ordering Thai fishing vessels out of its waters.=20
<BR><BR>Relations with the region's other democracies are not much =
better. Even=20
politically conservative Singapore, one of Burma's biggest investors, =
has grown=20
impatient with the regime's inability to break the political stalemate =
and get=20
on with economic reforms. And with the fall of Suharto and the rise of =
democracy=20
in Indonesia, Burma has lost another powerful ASEAN patron. In time, the =
junta=20
may discover that it is easier to cooperate with its own democrats than =
fight=20
the new ones rising across Asia. <BR><BR></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_001_0058_01BF2CA2.948A9F20--

------=_NextPart_000_0057_01BF2CA2.948A9F20
Content-Type: image/jpeg;
	name="burma.jpg"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
Content-Location: http://cnn.com/ASIANOW/time/magazine/99/1115/burma.jpg
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------=_NextPart_000_0057_01BF2CA2.948A9F20
Content-Type: image/gif;
	name="spacer1x1.gif"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64
Content-Location: http://cnn.com/ASIANOW/images/main/spacer1x1.gif

R0lGODdhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=

------=_NextPart_000_0057_01BF2CA2.948A9F20--